Fewer and fewer Americans possess objects that have a patina, old furniture, grandparents pots and pans -- the used things, warm with generations of human touch, essential to a human landscape. Instead, we have our paper phantoms, transistorized landscapes. A featherweight portable museum.

Summary

This quote criticizes the increasing trend in American society of valuing new, mass-produced objects over older items that hold sentimental and historical value. It laments the loss of objects with a "patina," or signs of wear and age, such as old furniture and kitchenware passed down through generations. Instead, the quote observes that people have become more dependent on disposable and digital possessions, like paper and electronic gadgets, which lack the human touch and history associated with older items. It highlights the absence of these essential elements in shaping human landscapes and culture.

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